Strip feeding mechanism



I May 20, 1958 J. H. KROEMER ETAL 2,835,489

STRIP FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 18, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 00m: 0. m ro/v JOHN H M05445? mwmw ' May 20, 1958 J. H. KRO EMER ETAL STRIPFEEDING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 18, 1954 INVENTORS 00715 D. 7' IL TON JOHN H K/POEMEI? BY May 20, 1958 J. H. KROEMER EI'AL STRIP FEEDING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 18, 1954 INVENTORS 00715 D. 7717'0/1/ BY JOHN H K/FOEMER imwm Uited States Patent- M srnrr FEEDING MECHANISM John H. Kroemer, Dayton, and Doyle D. Tilton, Columbus, Ohio, assignors to The Standard Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 18, 1954, Serial No. 469,763

13 Claims. (Cl. 271-24)- This invention relates to strip feeding apparatus, as found in business machines operating upon preprinted forms interconnected in continuous series, and relates more particularly to eject or sweep feed devices operable independently of the principal strip feed mechanism to advance the strip, as from the last inscribed line of one form to the first line of the next succeeding form.

Still more particularly, the invention pertains to dual' feed mechanisms in which separate superposed strips are independently advanced through an imprinting position, as for example in check writing work wherein one snip comprises interconnected checks and check stubs while the other strip comprises a summary of the information printed on the checks and check stubs. Advance of the feeding devices from line to line is a machine initiated operation whereas advancement of the check and stub strip from the last inscribed line of the stub to the first line of the check and from the check to the first line of the next succeeding stub is a manually initiated sweep feed operation. Similarly, advance of the summary strip from one designation listing to the next designation listing is a sweep feed operation. Inview of the variables involved, and since it is unnecessary and undesirable to advance the summary strip any material distance between designation listings it has heretofore been proposed to place the separate strip feeding mechanisms under the control of separate sweep feed devices which thus must be separately actuated by the operator and in a certain sequence, it being understood in this latter connection that whereasthe check-stub strip is sweep fed in advancing from each stub to each check form and from each check form to each stub form it is only necessary to sweep feed the summary strip on alternate ones of these operations. Thus, in addition to the obvious disadvantages of duplication of parts and duplication of effort resulting from the use of separate sweep feed devices it is also possible in such a construction to readily misoperate the machine.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of strip v feeding mechanisms, whereby such mechanisms may not only be economically manufactured but will be more efficient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications, having relatively few parts, and be unlikely to get out of repair.

It is a further object of this invention, in a dual strip feeding mechanism of the kind described, to provide a single sweep feed device effecting operation of both feed mechanisms and in the proper order. In the example discussed above it is contemplated that the check-stub strip will be advanced upon each and every actuation of the sweep feed device whereas the summary strip will be advanced only on alternate operations of the sweep feed device.

Another object of the invention, in a dual acting sweep feed device as described, is to introduce a generally new concept of eject or sweep feed operation, utilizing dual selectively operable actuating pawls and dual selectively operable stops.

2,835,489 Patented May 29, 1953 A further object of the invention is to present selectively operable actuating pawls and stops as described usefully separately and in combination with one another.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sweep feed device operable as a line finder upon dual strips and providing for accurate sweep feeding of the strips to a predetermined line with individual compensation for uninscribed preceding portions of the strip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strip feeding mechanism possessing the'advantageous features, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein described.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in View as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and corn- 'binations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing herein is found one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a sweep feed device in accordance with the illustrated form of the invention, for installation on a typewriting or like machine;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 with some parts removed, showing the device as an attachment on a known type of business machine;

'Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the line space mechanism of the attachment in an operating position;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing still another position of the line space mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a view in cross section, taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view of the attachment device and of machine elements connected therewith, shown in front or end elevation;

Fig. 7 is a planwiew of Fig. 1 with some parts removed;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the drive plate, actuating pawl and stop pawl mechanisms comprised in the sweep feed device, the parts being shown in side elevation;

Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Fig. 8 showing successive steps of a sweep feed operation effective on only one of the dual strips; and

Figs. 11 and 12 are views similar to Figs. 9 and 10 showing successive steps of an operation effective on both of the dual strips.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the business machine upon which the device of the illustrated form of the invention is installed as an attachment includes a carriage 20 mounting a shaft 21. The disclosed attachment comprises spaced apart interconnected plates 22 and 23, the former of which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 21. The plates 22 and 23 are thus mounted on the carriage of the business machine and are still further made a unitary relatively rigid part of the carriage by connection with various cross rods, as for example the rod 24 in Fig. 6.

I The frame plate 22 provides a mounting for respective ends of spaced apart platen shafts 25 and 26 on which are platen rolls 27 and 28. Extending beneath, around and over the platen roll 27', which is spaced relatively lower and forwardly of the platen roll 28, is a pair of strips 29 and 31. The pair of strips 29 and 31 are .superposed contacting relation as they pass over the platen roll 27 and through the printing position which may be considered to be substantially in the horizontal plane of the platen shaft 25. Thereafter, the strips separate, the strip 29 being guided rearwardly and out of the machine while the strip 31 is guided upwardly and rearwardly over the platen roll 28 and thence out of the machine. The feeding devices associated with the platen rolls 27 and 28 may be of a conventional friction kind but in the overall concept of the'present invention pin wheels are utilized which engage marginal perforations in the strips and advance them positively and accurately and without loss of registration therebetween. Thus, a pin wheel 32 is mounted on the shaft 25, the strip 31 being more narrow than the strip 29 and therefore not engaged by the pin wheels 32. Pin wheels 33 are mounted on the shaft 26 and engage marginal perforations in the strip 31. Advance of the strip 29 thus is dependent upon rotation of the shaft while advance of the strip 31 is separately dependent upon rotation of the shaft 26. The pin wheels 32 are mounted upon and in effect form a part of a conventional platen which provides a backing for the strips, supporting them for imprinting. No similar platen is necessary in the case of the upper feed mechanism so that the term platen roll 28, as used herein, is intended to designate the pin feed wheels 33 and such other elements as may be mounted on the shaft 26 generally to support the strip 31.

The separate shafts 25 and 26 are advanced in intermittent step by step fashion as a part of the regular machine operation, as for example upon each reciprocation of the carriage 20, and are turned under such machine initiated operations at the same time and by corresponding amounts, although the relative extent of advance or feed may be varied. In this connection, there is made fast on the shaft 25 a ratchet 34 and on the shaft 26 a similar ratchet 35. The ratchet 34 is engageable and movable by a pawl 36 and the ratchet 35'by a similar pawl 37. The pawls 36 and 37 are movable in unison to engage and turn the respective ratchets 34 and 35, and therefore the respective shafts 25 and 26, predetermined increments of rotary motion resulting in corresponding longitudinal advancing movements of the strips 29 and 31. This motion is derived from a carriage supported shaft 38 which rocks upon each or selected reciprocating movements of the carriage to initiate line spacing operations. The pawl 37 is connected to the shaft 38 by a lever 39, link 41 and arm 42, appropriately constructed and arranged as indicated to achieve a lateral shifting movement of the pawl 37 in response to rocking movement of the shaft 38. A member 40 supports the link 41 in the attachment device. Similar linkage extends from the shaft 38 to the pawl 36 for simultaneous lateral shifting movement of the pawl 36 upon rocking motion of the shaft 38. The pawl 37 normally is held disengaged from the ratchet 35 by a stop 43 against the urging of a spring 44 and similar means are provided in connection with pawl 36. As the pawls 36 and 37 move leftward under the initial rocking motion of the shaft 38 they are permitted to engage their respective ratchets, and, as such lateral motion is continued are effective to rotate the ratchets. Return movement of the shaft 38 retracts the pawls 36 and 37 which under the influence of shaft 38 and of stops 43 assume the position illustrated in Pig. 3.

The extent of advance of the ratchets 34 and 35 by the pawls 36 and 37 is determined by a cam plate 44 in the one instance and a similar cam plate 45 in the other instance. The plate 44-is a part of a manipulative notched member 46 while the plate 45 is a part of a similar member 47. The plates 44 and 45, in accordance with the conventional arrangement of such devices, hold their respective pawls 36 or 37 out of engagement with the ratchets for a greater or lesser part of the lateral movements of the pawls. By appropriate rotary adjustment of the members 46 and 47, which are mounted on the respective shafts 25 and 26, the duration of effective movement of the pawls 36 and 37may be varied to obtain, for example, one, two or threeline spacing operations upon each rocking action of the shaft 33. The members 46 and 47 are held in selected positions of adjustment by respective detent members 48 and 49, carried, as shown in connection with member 49, by levers 51 pivotally mounted on the frame plate 22. Similarly, detent members 52 and 53 engage the ratchets 34 and 35 and are carried, as is shown in connection with member 53, by levers 54 pivotally mounted on the frame 22. The several levers 51 and 5+ are sprin urged to detenting position.

In a sweep feed operation, the strips are advanced through the unused portion of one form to the first line of the next succeeding form. Also, as in the present instance, it may be desirable in a sweep feeding operation to advance only one of the feeding devices on certain strokes of the sweep feed device and to advance both strip feeding devices on certain other strokes of the sweep feed device. In accordance with the present invention, these operations are effected through manipulative actuation of a single sweep feed lever 55 secured to a hub 56 rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 57 supported in the frame elements 22 and 23. Also rotatably mounted on the stub shaft 57 is a sleeve 53 releasably coupied at its one end to a gear 59. The gear 59 meshes with another gear 61 suitably interconnected with the ratchet 35 for unison rotation therewith. Rotatably mounted on the hub of gear 59 on the stub shaft 5'7 is another gear 62 meshing with a gear 63 coupled for unison rotation to the ratchet 34. The gear 62 is connected, as by a flange 64 with a sleeve 65 rotatably mounted on the aforementioned sleeve 58. The sleeve 65 terminates at its one end in a rotary driving plate 66 having on its periphery a series, in the present instance eight, of lobes or teeth 67. The aforesaid sleeve 53 has secured thereto a similar rotary driving plate 68 having on its periphery a series of, in the present instance four, lobes or teeth 69. The driving plates 66 and 68 are arranged in parallel spaced apart relation and it will be understood from the illustrated construction and arrangement of parts that each is independently connected to a respective ratchet 34 or 35 for motion therewith. Thus, each of the driving plates 66 and 68 partakes of regular line spacing movements of the ratchets 34 and 35 and it will further be understood that by virtue of the teeth 67 and 65' thereon the driving plates may be separately actuated for rotation of the ratchets 34 and 35 from a source other than the line space rock shaft 38.

The sweep feed lever 55 represents this further source, there being mounted on such lever in side by side relation a pair of pawls 71 and 72 respectively overlying the driving plates 66 and 68. The pawls 71 and 72 have a common mounting on a stud 73 set in the lever 55 and are urged by individual springs 74 in a direction to engage the noses thereof with the peripheral edges of the respective driving plates.

The pawl 72 tends continuously and directly to engage the surface of its respective driving plate 68. The pawl 71, however, has fingers 75 mounted on the nose thereof which extend into embracing relation to the driving plate 66 respectively to engage and rest upon an index plate 76 and a control plate 77. The index plate 76 is formed a flange on the sleeve 58- and hence is rotatable with the driving plate 68. The control plate 77 loosely surrounds the hub 65 of driving plate 66 and is attached to the frame piece 23. It is thus a relative stationary part. The control plate 77 is eccentrically formed to provide a relatively high portion 78, with the plate being so disposed as to place such high portion within the area of initial movement of the pawl assembly 71-72 whereby, as indicated in Fig. 8, the pawl 71 is held elevated with its nose above the teeth 67 on the driving plate 66. The high portion 78 terminates in a declination 79 which, when it is reached by the fingers 75 on the pawl 71 permit the pawl to drop downward to place the nose thereof in position to engage the teeth 67' on the plate 66. The index plate 76 represents a further means of control of the pawl 71. The periphery of this plate is formed with diametrically opposed cut out portions 81 and 82. The normal diameter of the plate 76 is such as to coincide approximately with the high portion 78 of control plate 77. Thus, when the fingers '75 on pawl 71 are engaged either with the high portion 78 of plate 77 or with the normal diameter of index plate 76, or with both, the pawl 71 is held ineffective to engage the teeth 67 on driving plate 66. In the event, however, of the index plate 76 assuming a position with one of the cut out portions 81 or 82 lying beyond the declination 79 within the range of movement of the pawl assembly, the pawl 71 is permitted to drop downward to engage a tooth 67.

The sweep feed lever 55 is movable to and fro in repetitive strokes by the hand of the operator. It normally assumes a home position as shown in Fig. 1 by virtue of a spring 83 extending between anchor points on the lever and on the frame member 23 respectively. A stop 84 defines the home position for the lever 55. The stop 84 serves also as a reactant member for a lever 85 pivoted at its mid point to the lever 55 and engaging at its one end the stop 84 and at its other end a pin 86 on the pawl 72. Return of the lever 55 to normal position under the influence of spring 83 rocks the lever 85 in a counterclockwise direction (as seen in Fig. 1) and the lever 85 in turn rocks the pawl 72 in a clockwise direction against the urging of spring 74 to raise the pawl from contact with its driving plate 68. A forward and return movement of the lever 55 from the position illustrated in Fig. 1 constitutes a full stroke or cycle of the lever. At the start of the forward movement it will be apparent that since the lever 85 tends to move away from reactant stop 84 the pawl 72 is free to drop downward onto the driving plate 68. Accordingly, as the forward movement of the lever continues, the pawl '72 will engage a tooth 69 and advance the driving plate 68 and interconnected parts through the remaining portion of the forward movement of lever 55 or until such advance of the driving plate positively is arrested. For greater accuracy in the positioning of the feed devices it is here contemplated positively to arrest the advance of the driving plates under actuation of the sweep feed lever.

Such positive arresting means is comprised in a pair of stop pawls 87 and 88 pivotally mounted on a stud 89 set in the frame member 23. The pawls 87 and 88 are located in line with respective driving plates 66 and 68 are urged by tension spring 91 downward or in a direction to engage and rest on the peripheral surfaces of the respective driving plates. The pawls are, of course, engageable by respective teeth 67 and 69 on the driving plates positively to arrest advance of the driving plates. The pawl 88 has a lamination 92 extending below the lower edge thereof and formed with a lug 93 extending laterally beneath the pawl 87. Further, the lamination 92 is aligned with and tends to engage a cam 94 on the hub 56. The cam 94 thus is movable with the lever 55 and so is rocked into and out of effective position relatively to the lamination 92 effecting in conjunction with the spring 91 a similar oscillatory movement of the pawl 88 into and out of the plane of the teeth 69 on plate 68. Normally, as shown in Fig. 1, the cam 94 engages lamination 92 and holds pawl 88 elevated above the teeth 69. Accordingly, the driving plate 68 may be advanced freely by the line space mechanism of the machine as a part of the regular step by step movements of the ratchet 35. When the lever 55 is actuated, however, in a sweep feed operation, the cam 94 is carried out of cooperative relation with the lamination 92 in the initial part of the forward movement of the lever. Thus, the pawl 88 is free to drop downward into the plane of the teeth 69 and is engaged by the first adjacent such tooth to arrest advance of the driving plate. By reason of the lug 93, the pawl 87 is lifted with the pawl 88 to an ineffective position by the cam 94 and is thus also normally out of the plane of movement of the teeth 67 so that' the plate 66 may partake freely of the line spacing'move v d ments of the ratchet 34. Release of the lever 88 by the cam 94 serves also to release the stop 87 which thus may drop downward on to the driving plate 66 to be engaged by a tooth 67 thereon. The pawl stop 88 may, however, drop to effective position on its driving plate 68 independently of the stop pawl 87. Thus, should line spacing movements of the driving plate 66 have brought a tooth 67 beneath the pawl 87, preventing it from moving downward to tooth engaging position, the pawl 88 will not be interfered with but can drop individually into cooperative relation with the teeth 69 on its driving plate 68. The construction and arrangement of the index plate 76 is such as to permit a sweep feed actuation of the driving plate 66 on alternate strokes of the lever 55. Thus, certain strokes of the lever 55 will find the cut out portions 81 and 82 of the index plate 76 circumferentially offset from the nose of the actuating pawl 71. Accordingly, as forward movement of the lever 55 is carried out, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9, the fingers 75 on the pawl 71 continue to engage either the high portion 78 of the control plate 77 or the normal diameter of index plate 76 whereby to hold the pawl 71 out of the plane of the teeth 67. During this storke of the lever 55, therefore, no operation of the driving plate 66 and connected feeding devices results. in the course of such stroke, however, the index plate 76 is rotated substantially to the position shown in Fig. 10 wherein the cut out portion 81 underlies the nose of pawl 71. On the forward strokes of the next succeeding operation of the lever 55, therefore, the pawl 71 is permitted to drop downward to engage the first adjacent tooth 67 on its driving plate 66 and in the course of such forward movement of the sweep feed lever both driving plates 66 and 68 are advanced. it will be understood in this connection that the teeth 69 on the driving plate 68 are so arranged that the pawl 72 engages one of such teeth at a time to maintain a cooperative relation of the cut out portions 81 and 82 to the pawl 71. The index plate is in this movement of the sweep feed lever readjusted to place the cut out portions 81 and 82in the same relative position shown in Fig. 8 so that on the next succeeding sweep feed operation the pawl '11 is again held ineffective and the driving plate 68 accordingly is advanced independently and separately from the driving plate 66.

The number and spacing of the teeth 67 and the teeth 69 is of course determined by the desired spacing to be obtained on the record 'strips. In the present instance, which is an embodiment of the invention designed for check writing and summary strip work there are eight teeth 67 equally spaced about the periphery of driving plate 66. Driving plate 68 has four teeth 69 arranged to produce differential advance of the strip on alternate sweep feed operations. In the work to which the instant disclosed device is adapted, the distance between the last writing line of the check stub to the first writing line of the check is difiierent'from the distance between the last writing line of the check to the first writing line of the next succeeding check stub.

While it has been heretofore indicated that the driving plate 68 always is positioned with a tooth 69 near the pawl 72 it will be understood that the start of a sweep feed operation may find both driving plates variably positioned depending upon the number of line spacing oper ations which have occurred since the last preceding sweep feed operation. This being in turn a function of or determined by the number of line entries made on the check stub or on the check. Whether the index plate 76 is located precisely as indicated in Fig. 10 or a short distance arcuately therefrom in a counterclockwise direction the relationship of the cut out portions 81 and 82 to the pawl 71 will remain substantially the same.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided that a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. Strip feeding apparatus having dual strip feed devices and operating means for advancing said devices in intermittent step by step movements; including toothed driving plates movable independently of one another and connected to respective devices for motion therewith, sweep feed means movable to and fro in actuating relation to said driving plates, and means rendering said sweep feed means effective and ineffective with respect to at least one of said driving plates according to a predetermined operational sequence.

2. Strip feeding apparatus having dual strip feed devices; including toothed driving plates movable independently of one another and connected to respective devices for motion therewith, sweep feed means movable to and fro in repetitive actuating strokes relatively to said driving plates, and means rendering the strokes of said sweep feed means effective to advance said driving plates according to stroke movements of respectively different sequence.

3. Strip feeding apparatus having dual strip feed devices; including toothed driving plates movable independently of one another and connected to respective devices for motion therewith, a sweep feed lever movable to and fro in actuating relation to said driving plates, actuating pawls carried by said lever for movement independent of one another and engageable with respective driving plates, and means including an indexing member movable with one of said plates controlling the engagement of one of said pawls with the teeth on its respective plate.

4. Strip feeding apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said indexing member is mounted on one of said plates and controls the pawl associated with the other of said plates.

5. Strip feeding apparatus having dual strip feed devices; including driving plates movable independently of one another and connected to respective devices for motion therewith, spaced apart teeth on said plates, individual actuating pawls for said plates engageable with said teeth, a single sweep feed lever carrying said pawls and movable in repetitive actuating strokes intermittently to advance said plates, and an indexing member carried by one of said plates holding the pawl associated with the other of said plates out of engagement with the teeth on said other plate in certain of the strokes of said lever.

6. Strip'feeding apparatus having dual strip feed devices and means for advancing said devices simultaneously in intermittent step by step fashion; including a sweep feed mechanism comprising separate driving plates connected to respective devices, a single actuating lever, pawls on said lever operable upon respective driving plates, and indexing means movable with one of said driving plates controlling the engagement of one of said pawls with the other driving plate.

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7. Strip feeding apparatus according to claim 6, characterized by independent stops for arresting advance of said driving plates.

8. Strip feeding apparatus having dual strip feed devices and means for advancing said devices simultaneously in intermittent step by step fashion; including a sweep feed mechanism operable independently to advance said devices, said mechanism comprising separate driving plates connected to respective devices, a single actuating lever movable in repetitive strokes, means for advancing one of said plates on each stroke of said lever and for advancing the other one of said plates on only certain strokes of said lever, and independent stops for arresting advance of said plates.

9. Strip feeding apparatus according to claim 8, characterized by means movable to ineffective position by said lever for holding said stops out of arresting position.

10. Strip feeding apparatus having dual strip feed devices and means for advancing said devices simultaneously in intermittent step by step fashion including a sweep feed mechanism operable independently to advance said devices, said mechanism comprising separate toothed driving plates connected to respective devices, a sweep feed lever movable to and fro in repetitive actuating strokes to advance said plates, independent stops arresting advance of said plates by engagement with the teeth thereon, and means operable by said lever for lifting said stops out of the paths of said teeth during a part of each stroke of said lever, said stops returning individually to arresting position.

11. Strip feeding apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that said last named means is operable directly on only one of said stops, said one stop having a portion underlying the other stop whereby simultaneously to lift said other stop while permitting independent return thereof.

12. Strip feeding apparatus having dual strip feed devices and means for advancing said devices in intermittent step by step fashion; including a sweep feed mechanism comprising a sweep feed lever, separate pawls on said lever separately engageable with respective devices, saidlever having a home position and movable from and to said position to complete an actuating stroke, means holding said pawls disengaged from said devices in the home position of said lever, yielding means urging said pawls to engagement with said devices, said pawls tending to impart an increment of movement to said devices during an actuating stroke of said lever, and means movable with one of said devices controlling the engagement of one of said pawls with the other one of said devices.

13. Strip feeding apparatus according to claim 12 characterized in that said last named means includes an index plate of irregular peripheral configuration movable with said one device and a finger on said one pawl riding said plate, said plate presenting a different peripheral configuration to said finger on successive strokes of said lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,096,509 Garbell Oct. 19, 1937 2,216,081 Kniehahn Sept. 24, 1940 2,318,020 Sherman May 4, 1943 2,392,838 Davidson Jan. 15, 1946 2,348,059 Daly May 2, 1944 2,493,411 Lanegan et al Jan. 3, 1950 

